Your Cost of Attendance (COA) reflects an average of costs and educational expenses from tuition and books to personal items and transportation. This is often referred to as your “budget.”

The important part to remember is that your COA does not reflect in any way what you actually owe or will owe the College. You will receive a statement of all your charges.

Standard budgets are assigned to each financial aid student, but it may vary based on living status, academic program and/or enrollment status.

Tuition and fees are based on an average of 14.92 credits per term.

If you are receiving a tuition waiver from Southwestern and receive other aid that puts you over your cost of attendance for the year, your tuition waiver will be reduced or removed as to not over-award you.

Room and board costs are based on where you will live while attending Southwestern. Off-campus housing reflects current market rates in Coos County, while on-campus housing reflects actual costs for single and double rooms.

Textbooks and supplies are based on average costs each term based on bookstore pricing.

Transportation is an average based on travel to and from the college each term.

Personal expenses are based on typical expenses students may incur in day-to-day living, such as clothing, recreation, household supplies, etc.

For students who have unique circumstances, the budget may also be adjusted for the purchase of a computer (one-time), extensive travel requirements, educational-related disability expenses, and childcare costs while attending school - contact the Financial Aid Office for the appropriate forms to request these costs be included.

Have cumulative GPA of a 2.0, or higher, by the end of your first academic year.

If you are enrolledin

You must complete with a 2.0 or higher GPA

17 - 18 credits

12 or more credits

16 credits

11 or more credits

14 - 15 credits

10 or more credits

13 credits

9 or more credits

11 - 12 credits

8 or more credits

10 credits

7 or more credits

8 - 9 credits

6 or more credits

7 credits

5 or more credits

5 - 6 credits

4 or more credits

4 credits

3 or more credits

3 credits

2 or more credits

2 credits

2 credits

1 credit

1 credits

Aid Statuses

Warning status –This is the status you will receive the first time you fail to meet the standards above. You are still able to receive aid but must successfully complete the next term. Failure to do so will result in suspension.

Suspension status – This is the status you will receive if you fail to meet the standards for a consecutive term. You are not eligible to receive financial aid funds. You have the right to submit a Request for Reinstatement or Extension of Eligibility appeal.

Probation status – If your Request for Suspension or Extension of Eligibility appeal is approved (which will include special conditions you must follow to continue receiving aid), you will be granted a probation status for the term after the appeal.

Qualitative Requirements (GPA)

Must earn a 2.0 or greater GPA every term and have cumulative 2.0, or better, GPA after 1 academic year

Your GPA will be reviewed at the end of every term

Successful grades: A, B, C, D, IB, IC, ID, P, and S. You can repeat once for a better grade.

Quantitative Requirements (Timeline)

Should complete all credits attempted each term

Reviewed by the financial aid office at the end of each term

Must complete degree within the maximum timeframe (135 credits for a 90-credit degree and 68 credits for a 45-credit certificate). All attempted credits (including repeat and transferred courses) are counted toward your timeframe.

If it is determined that you cannot graduate within the maximum timeframe, you will become ineligible for financial aid and be notified immediately.

Additional Information

You are only eligible to receive financial aid for up to 45 credits of developmental courses. This includes coursework taken at all colleges. There is no appeal process to extend this limit.

You may change your major one time. A second change will require an Extension of Eligibility appeal.

If you have already earned a degree, you will need to file an Extension of Eligibility appeal. If you already have a degree and want to pursue pre-nursing, an appeal will not be considered until you are admitted into the Nursing program.

Coursework taken at another institution that is officially transcribed does count toward the 150% maximum.

GPAs from other schools are not considered in Southwestern’s financial aid satisfactory academic progress policy.

Your prior use, or lack of use, of financial aid is not a factor in our reviewing your future eligibility.

No more than two suspensions are allowed.

The academic standards of Southwestern are separate from this financial aid policy and are noted as the Academic Notification System in the catalog each year.

Faculty and staff (other than financial aid staff) are not required to know financial aid policies.

The Satisfactory Academic Progress policy is subject to change.

Your Right to Appeal

To resolve your financial aid Suspension Status, you will need to submit an appeal. The forms are available online.

Use the Request for Reinstatement form for GPA and/or term credit completion deficiencies.

Use the Extension of Eligibility form for timeline, major change, second major, dual major and/or transfer credit requests.

If the appeal is approved, you will be reinstated to Probation Status for the next term. At the end of your probation term, you must meet the satisfactory academic progress requirements. If you do not, you will be back on suspension.

If your appeal is denied, you will be notified with the number of credits you must complete successfully in order to be reinstated. These courses must be completed without financial aid and must apply toward your declared degree, be a pre-requisite or a necessary developmental course.

Getting Your Financial Aid

Accepting Your Aid PackageWhen you receive your Official Award Letter, you are accepting the financial aid represented. Refer to the back of the letter for more information.

Disbursement of FundsYou must be eligible for your financial aid at the time of disbursement.

All financial aid and scholarship funds are credited directly to your account and any funds remaining after tuition, fees, and other charges will be disbursed to you within 14 days of crediting your account.

Funds are disbursed after the institutional refund period and after your enrollment status has been determined. Your enrollment status is determined at the close of business day on Wednesday of the second week of the term. Disbursement amounts are based on eligible credits as of that date and cannot be adjusted at a later date.Disbursements are made via check and electronic funds transfer (EFT). Disbursement begins on the third Friday of each term and on each Friday thereafter.

Student Loans (Stafford, PLUS & Alternative) - loan disbursements to students, who are first-time, freshman, are subject to a 30-day waiting period from the first day of the first term. Subsequent disbursements will be available at the same time as all other funds.

Account BalancesYou are responsible for all college charges regardless of whether financial aid is received. If you still owe the college after your grants/scholarships have transmitted to your account, you must contact the Student First Stop Center to make arrangements for payment of the remaining balance at the time of registration.

Dropping Classes

If you drop all of your classes during the term, you may be required to pay all or a part of your financial aid back.

If you drop all of your classes during the term, you will automatically be placed on aid withheld for future terms and will need to petition for reinstatement.

If you drop one or more of your classes during the term and have a prior request for reinstatement on file, you may go back on aid withheld.

If you withdraw or audit all of your courses during the term, we are required to determine if any of the federal financial aid you received should be returned. Federal financial aid is based on the length of time you are in classes, so if you do not attend the entire term, you may be required to return a all or a portion of the aid you received.

If you receive all W, X, or F grades in a term, we must perform this calculation. The repayment percentage is determined by the number of days remaining in the term from your last date of attendance.

If you owe Southwestern federal financial aid repayments or owe Return of Title IV Funds, you will be denied federal aid eligibility at any institution and will not be able to enroll at Southwestern until full payment arrangements are made.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements apply to all financial aid recipients regardless of the funding status due to a Return of Title IV Funds. Repayment of part of your federal financial aid does not release you from the satisfactory academic progress requirement discussed later in this handbook.

Withdrawal Date Policy

Official and unofficial withdrawal dates will be determined using the federal regulation definition for a withdrawal date. The official date will be determined by the earlier of one of the following:

Date the student begins the withdrawal process;

Date the student provides official notification of intent to withdraw;

Students who fail to officially withdraw are assumed to have completed at least 50% of the term unless an earlier or later date is determined by the school.

The College offers a full refund during the refund period. The bookstore and student housing will offer a refund based on their policies during the refund period. Students living in student housing are subject to any contracted services according to the terms of the contract.

Return of Title IV Funds

The school will use the federal policy to determine the amount which must be returned by the school and/or the student to Title IV programs. The procedure is:

Determine appropriate withdrawal date

Determine Amount of Earned Title IV Aid

Determine Amount of Unearned Title IV Aid

Determine Title IV Aid to be Disbursed

Determine Title IV Aid Disbursed

Determine Title IV Aid to be Returned

Calculate the College’s Responsibility

Determine Amount College Returns by Program

Determine Student’s Responsibility

Determine Amount Student Returns by Program

Examples of the calculations used to determine the amount of earned and unearned Title IV Aid, Title IV Aid to be disbursed, Title IV Aid to be Returned, College’s responsibility, student’s responsibility, and amount returned to programs are available from the Financial Aid Office on a case-by-case basis. Students that fall into the Return of Title IV Funds will be notified with a letter explaining how we calculated the return and the process we went through to come to that conclusion.

Funds Returned by Program

Funds are returned to Title IV Programs according to federal regulations. The schedule is:

Loans

Unsubsidized Direct Stafford Loans

Subsidized Direct Stafford Loans

Direct PLUS Loans

Note: Student responsible portions that must be returned to loans will be calculated by the school and any funds required to be returned to the loan programs will be in accordance with the terms of the promissory note.

Grants

Federal Pell Grant

Federal SEOG

Other Title IV Assistance

Note: Student responsible portions that must be returned to grants will be calculated by the school using 50% of Federal Pell and SEOG funds received.

RETURN OF FUNDS must be made directly to the Student First Stop Center. Do not send payments to any other department or agency.

Students who do not make satisfactory arrangements for payments in a timely manner will have their debts submitted to the U.S. Department of Education for collection. Repayments to be returned to the Federal Perkins Loan program which are received after the close of the fiscal year must be sent to the billing agency, lender, or loan service.